Pōro wa
tēkʷāniThe donkey and
the mountain lion

by
Zenón Casasanero

This story, in the Mösiehuali
language
(ISO code
nhg),
was told about 1951, by Zenón Casasanero, then about 30 years
old. It, along with four other texts, was published as part of
Richard
Pittman’s doctoral thesis (1954:60-61)*.

Pōro
w͎ēw͎enc̸ī
The Old Donkey

1.

Sente

one

ƛākaƛ

man

kipiyaya

had

sente

one

pōro

donkey

w͎ēw͎enc̸ī

old

ki

that

ayekmo

no.longer

tekitiya.

worked

A man had an old
donkey that was no longer good for anything.

Wa

And

okikahkā

he.left.it

ka

with

kaltēnko

field

poro

but

oksahpa

again

mokʷepaya

it.was.returning

īčā.

its.home

And he left it in the
fields, but it would return home again.

Pilalakme

boys

īpa

on.it

ƛehkoya,

they.were.climbing

ƛīmač

whatnot

kičīw͎iliya.

they.were.doing.to.it

The boys would climb
up on it, and do all sorts of things to it.

Ītēko

its.owner

ayekmo

no.longer

īka

with.it

ƛahƛaniya

he.was.inquiring

por

for

laliw͎is

very

ye

already

w͎ēw͎enc̸ī.

old

Its owner no longer
cared about it because it was so old.

5.

Sē

One

tōnali

day

okiw͎īkak

he.took.it

kači

more

w͎ehka.

far

One day he took it
farther away.

Ka

with

ompa

there

pōro

donkey

okalak

entered

kʷahkamak

forest

kāni

where

nemi

they.live

tēkʷānime.

people-eaters.

There the burro
entered a forest where man-eaters (fierce beasts) live.

Sē

one

īsi

morning

kʷalkā

early

okihtak

he.saw

sente

one

tēkʷāni.

people-eater

Early one morning he
saw a man-eater (mountain lion or other dangerous animal).

Kiƛapohtaya

it.was.constantly.opening

w͎ēyi

big

īkamak.

its.mouth

It had its mouth wide
open.

Nēsiya

they.were.appearing

w͎ēw͎eyaki

long.pl

īƛankočwa.

its.teeth

Its teeth looked very
long.

10.

Okihto

it.said

tēkʷāni:

people-eater

‘ƛī

what

taštinemi

you.go.around.doing

nikā

here

īpa

on.it

noƛakʷal?

my.food

The man-eater said,
“What are you doing here on my feeding-ground?

Nikneki

I.want

šikīsa

get.out

īsihkā

quickly

re

of

nikā.

here

I want you to get out
of here right now.

ƛā

if

amo,

not

timic̸kʷās.

I.will.eat.you

If you
don’t, I’ll eat you up.

Timic̸kokotoc̸as

I.will.tear.you.to.bits

ka

with

noƛankoč.’

my.tooth

I’ll tear
you into pieces with my teeth.”

14.

Nēka

that

yōlkāƛ

animal

onāwat:

responded

‘¿ƛīka

why

tinēčkʷās?

you.will.eat.me

The donkey answered:
“Why are you going to eat me?

Naha

I

nikpia

have.it

sente

one

alāvos

nail

īhtik

in.it

nokši,

my.foot

ka

with

nēčkōkowa.

it.hurts.me

I have a nail in my
hoof, and it really hurts.

ƛā

if

tikneki,

you.want.it,

šinēčkištili

take.it.out.of.me

īnī

this

alāvos.’

nail

If you’d be
so kind, please take the nail out of my hoof for
me.”

18.

Tēkʷāni

people-eater

omopačo

approached

īƛak

by

īkši

its.foot

pōro

donkey

w͎ēw͎enc̸ī.

old

The man-eater came
near to the old donkey’s foot.

Okiƛehkaw͎i

it.raised.it

īkši,

its.foot

okikamatiriksak,

it.mouth-kicked.it

noči

all

īƛankočwa

its.teeth

okintepēw͎ili.

it.scattered.for.it

It raised up its foot
and kicked it in the mouth, knocking all its teeth out.